BellHawk Systems Integration Capabilities

While almost all of our clients start out implementing a stand-alone barcode and mobile data collection systems, it soon becomes necessary to integrate the tracking system with other systems to avoid duplicate data entry. BellHawk Systems provides a full-range of systems integration support services to support these integration activities, including:

1. Implementing automated data exchange interfaces between legacy systems.
2. Adding barcode and RFID data collection capabilities to existing applications.
3. Adding wireless mobile data collection capabilities to existing applications.
4. Adding mobile data collection capabilities to existing applications in secure environments.
5. Implementing data exchange interfaces to accounting, ERP and CRM systems.
6. Implementing customer order entry and tracking websites.
7. Implementing websites that interact with databases in real-time.
8. Implementing data exchange interfaces with process control equipment.
9. Implementing data exchange interfaces with process and test equipment.
10. Implementing store and forward data exchange between facilities over the Internet.
11. Integration with vendor and supplier systems over the Internet.

BellHawk Systems has made a substantial investment in software tools to rapidly speed the development of these interfaces. These tools take a description of the data that is to be exchanged and automatically generate most of the code for the interface. Licenses to use these tools are made available at no charge to BellHawk Systems’ clients as part of BellHawk Systems’ interface implementation practice. This includes prototype interfaces to such popular software as QuickBooks and SugarCRM that are then customized to meet specific client requirements.

A major area of BellHawk expertise is in the use of store-and-forward technology to ensure reliable data exchange between databases over limited bandwidth communications channels that experience drop-outs and interference.

This technology is used for mobile computers, in applications where there is incomplete communications coverage, electrical interference or secure data exchange, without wireless, is required. In this case, the mobile computer application interacts with a local database, typically stored in non-volatile memory within the mobile computer. Then the BellHawk BSAF (pronounced be-safe) technology is used to incrementally exchange data with a main database on a central server. This enables point-of-action validation of user inputs combined with anywhere, anytime secure capture and transfer of data.

The BSAF technology works over wireless networks, when mobile computers are placed in cradles attached to PCs, over cell-phone data networks, and over the Internet. In the latter mode it is used for exchanging data over low-bandwidth virtual private networks between facilities in different states or countries. This exchange can be between mobile data collection devices in a remote plant, in the field, or between servers in different facilities. Because of the use of the store-and-forward technology it does not matter if the Internet communications are intermittent, as they are in many parts of the world.

Web 2.0 technologies are enabling users to interact with web-servers in a true client-server manner. These technologies are enabling BellHawk Systems to implement truly interactive product-configuration, order entry and order tracking websites for its clients that interact in real-time with changes in database contents.

BellHawk Systems has a long history of implementing commerce web-server applications for clients. These have included implementing a car-lease configuration website for Ford Motor Company, as well as industrial product configuration and ordering websites for a number of clients. Now, with all the exciting possibilities offered by Web 2.0 technologies, BellHawk Systems, in collaboration with its offshore development team, is implementing Internet based solutions that enable its industrial clients to increase sales and cut customer support costs.

BellHawk Systems is active in supply-chain integration. This ranges from integrating UPS and FedEx shipping and tracking systems into existing systems to integrating our clients systems with their customers’ and vendors’ systems. Classically this integration has taken place using EDI but increasingly this integration is taking place using XML data exchange over the Internet.

While barcode tracking and mobile data collection is a core expertise of BellHawk Systems, we are also able to offer a comprehensive range of systems integrations services to our mid-market industrial clients. Most importantly we understand the business needs of our industrial client base and, as a result, are able to rapidly deliver cost saving technology solutions to business problems.

For a free consultation on how BellHawk Systems can assist with your systems integration problem, please call (508)-865-8070 and press “1” for Sales or click on the link below: